Making digital careers visible: BIMA Digital Day at Tolworth Girls’ School

Young people use digital products and platforms every day, but that doesn't necessarily mean they understand the industry behind them, the opportunities it offers or the range of careers they could pursue. 

Last week I swapped the office for the classroom and headed with two MSQ DX colleagues to Tolworth Girls’ School for BIMA Digital Day, where we spent the day with a class of Year 10 girls. 

If you haven't come across it, Digital Day is a BIMA initiative that gets agencies into schools to show 11 to 16-year-olds what a career in digital could look like. It's part of the industry's effort to close the digital skills gap by introducing young people to the possibilities of working in digital, creative and technology businesses. 

Making opportunities visible 

Supporting young people, and especially young women, in their early careers is something I've always cared about. I went to an all-girls school myself, and got my first job through work experience at a marketing agency. That early opportunity had a real influence on the direction my career took, and so I leap at any chance I get to pay that forward. After all, it's difficult to aspire to a career you've never really seen or understood. If young women aren't exposed to the people, roles and opportunities within the digital industry, it's hard for them to imagine themselves working in it. 

That's one of the things I value about MSQ DX and the wider MSQ group. I'm surrounded by talented, smart women working across a broad range of disciplines, and I can credibly stand in front of a room of girls and show them what a career in this industry might look like. Representation matters, not just in terms of who gets hired, but in helping people see what might be possible for themselves. 

The challenge 

We started the morning by sharing a bit about what digital is, what an agency does and where AI plays a role. Then we gave the girls their brief, which this year came from Vue cinemas. 

Vue wants to be the cinema young people pick first, more often, and to keep them loyal over time. The girls could focus on Club Vue and how it might reward more than spending, filling seats at off-peak times, or the experience before, during and after a visit. They also had to think about how best to reach their chosen audience, bearing in mind the restrictions around targeting young people through advertising and social media. 

They worked through a process of discover, design and deliver, reflecting how we'd approach a client project. Each team then had five minutes to pitch their ideas. 

The winners 

Third place went to a team who spotted that Vue has two audiences to win over: people who've been before but not for a while, and people who've never been. Their idea, 'Duo Vue', had a ReVue and NewVue version of the Club Vue app, each tailored to what that group would want. 

Second place went to a team who looked at a partnership between Vue and streaming services like Netflix, using viewing habits to inform film recommendations and personalised offers. 

First place went to a team who tackled a core part of the brief – filling seats off-peak. They came up with an AI-driven tool with dynamic pricing to show people the quietest times at the cinema and adjust prices to encourage them to book. We liked how they'd built AI into the idea and stayed closely focused on the business problem Vue had set. 

Building the skills for what's next 

There's an interesting distinction between being digitally literate and understanding the digital industry. This generation is growing up using technology that many of us couldn't have imagined at their age. But knowing how to use an app or navigate a platform is quite different from understanding how digital experiences are conceived, designed, built and commercialised. 

And as AI continues to change the way our industry works, that distinction becomes even more important. The next generation will need more than technical knowledge. They'll need curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and the confidence to question technology, understand problems and work out how best to use the tools available to them. 

Introducing young people to the industry, and giving them the opportunity to work on real challenges, is one small but practical way of helping develop those skills. 

This was my third BIMA Digital Day, and I'm always struck by how quickly the students get to grips with a challenge like this, developing ideas that are interesting and well argued in just a few hours. The Canva skills this year were particularly impressive, too. 

A big thank you to Tolworth Girls’ School for having us, to BIMA for organising the day and to Vue for providing the brief. 

Digital Day 2027 is on Wednesday 10 November. Schools and agencies can sign up through BIMA here.

Frequently asked questions

What is BIMA Digital Day?

BIMA Digital Day is an initiative run by BIMA that sends digital, creative and technology agencies into schools to show 11 to 16-year-olds what a career in digital could look like. It is part of the industry’s effort to close the digital skills gap by introducing young people to the careers and opportunities available to them.

What happens at a BIMA Digital Day?

Agency teams spend a day with a class of students, explaining what digital is, what an agency does and where AI plays a role. The students are then given a real client brief and work through a discover, design and deliver process, reflecting how an agency would approach a client project. Each team pitches its ideas in five minutes.

Why is it important to show young people careers in digital?

Young people use digital products every day, but being digitally literate is different from understanding how digital experiences are conceived, designed, built and commercialised. It is hard to aspire to a career you have never seen, so giving students, and especially young women, direct exposure to the people and roles in the industry helps them imagine themselves working in it.

What skills do young people need for a career in digital as AI changes the industry?

Alongside technical knowledge, young people will need curiosity, creativity and critical thinking, plus the confidence to question technology, understand problems and work out how best to use the tools available to them. Working on real challenges, as students do on Digital Day, is one practical way to build those skills.

When is BIMA Digital Day 2027 and how can schools and agencies take part?

BIMA Digital Day 2027 takes place on Wednesday 10 November. Schools and agencies can sign up through BIMA here.